Spring air-gun.



No. 65I,634. Patented lune I2, |900. W. F. MARKHAM.

SPRING Am GUN.

[Application led Feb. 1'7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. MARKHAM, OF PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN.

SPRING AIR-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,634, dated J une 12, 1900. Application filed February 17, 1899. Serial No. 705,850. v(No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM F. MARKHAM,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Air-Guns, of which the following is a specification, reference being` had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention consists in the construction of an air-gun,and particularly in the construction of the barrel and its attachment to the air-compressing cylinder.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims. In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved gun, showing the barrel detached. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the outer end of the air-compressing cylinder and the inner end of the barrel in position to be engaged together. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the barrel and the outer end of the air-compressing cylind er. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the meeting ends of the air-compressing cylinder, the barrel, and the air-compressing abutment against which the spring-actuated piston presses the air.

A is the stock, having a metallic housing B at its forward end in which the fulcrumarm C is pivoted, the fulcrum-arm C, the triggerhousing D, and the fore-arm E being formed in any suitable manner.

F is the trigger.

G is a cylinder secured to the fore-arm and forming what I will call the air-compressing cylinder, being in effect the rear section of the barrel so far as the appearance of the gun is concerned. In this cylinder is a piston H, a spring I for actuating the piston, and a rod J, connected to the piston and adapted to be held by the trigger' mechanismwhen the spring is compressed. The stock Bis connected in any suitable manner with the piston-rod J, so that when the stock is turned about its fulcrum a the spring will be compressed until the piston-rod engages with a trigger-detent in the Well-known manner heretofore employed in spring air-guns and which I do not deem it necessary to illustrate or further describe, as it is no part of my present invention.

Difculty has been heretofore found in providing a suitable abutment against which the piston may compress the air, it being difficult to find Vone which was light, easily applied, and which would certainly be secured in position against possibilityv of accidental displacement by the repeated blows against it of the piston.

My air-compressing abutment I form from a single piece of sheet metal formed into the shape of a thimble, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the same being lettered K. This thimble is of a diameter to fit snugly within the cylinder G and is secured therein by soldering or brazing. In this construction I secure the abutment in the end of the cylinder G with its open end outward, so that the barrel may be secured therein, as hereinafter described.V

The end of the thimble I provide with a re,- stricted aperture b, through which the air is forced to expel the projectile.

L is the barrel. in a tube M by means of spacing-rings O at each end, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, the tube M forming a support for the true barrel and forming what might be called a false barrel. The tube M is of a proper diameter at its inner end to fit into the socket in the thimble K. This tube or barrel is secured against disengagement from this socket in any suitable manner--that is, it is locked in position. The means I employ for securing the barrel M into the air-compressing cylinder' consists of a spring Q. In this caseI have shown the spring secured at its outer end to the barrel L by -brazing or soldering and having a downwardly-bent portion R, projecting through a slot in the barrel M, to form a finger-actuating portion and a locking-pin Q' at its inner end adapted to pass through a slot in the barrel M and locked into a corresponding slot in the thimble K. It is evident that the outer end of the spring may be secured to the tube M, if desired, or that some other form of lock may be employed to hold the barrel M against accidental disengagement. I may and preferably do employ a packing P between the inner end of the tube M and the inner end of the thimble K, so as to make a more air-tight This Ipreferablysupport IOO The advantages of having the detachable l barrel are, first, that I may pack the gun in a much smaller space than heretofore; second, A

that projectiles which may become too firmly seated in the inner end of the true barrel may be dislodged by a Wire inserted from the rear end of the barrel; third, that I may use the gun in shooting darts, which may be inserted in the rear or the butt of the barrel after it is detached. The darts cannot be satisfactorily employed with a muzzle-loading gun.

I deem my special manner of connecting the barrel to the air-compressing cylinder as especially advantageous both from structural reasons and because of the strength and security of the means employed.

The broader features of my invention I believe do not include the specific manner of making this connection which is herein shown.

The tube G is preferably brazed or soldered to the flanges or wings t' of the fore-arm.

What I claim as my invention isl. In an air-gun having a barrel portion formed in separable sections, the combination of the stock, the air-compressing cylinder extending forwardly therefrom, the spring, the piston therein, an air-compressing abutment at the end thereof, and a barrel forming an extension beyond the cylinder detachably secured to the outer end of said cylinder, anda haud-opera1 ed lock for securing the barrel against end wise disengagement from the cylinder.

2. In an air-gun, the combination of the stock, the air-compressing cylinder extending forwardly therefrom, a spring and piston therein, a cup-shaped abutment secured in the end of the said cylinder with its open end outward, and the barrel forming a detachable extension beyond the cylinder, having its The parts being thus.

rear end projecting into the abutment and detaehably secured in position for the purpose described.

3. In an air-gun having a barrel portion formed in separable sections, the combination with the stock, the air-compressing cylinder secured thereto and extending forwardly therefrom forming the rear portion of the barrel member, of an abutment against which the air is compressed by the piston, formed of sheet metal in cup shape, secured in the outer end of the cylinder, the end of such abutment having a reduced aperture therethrough, and the barrel forming the outer section of the barrel member removably secured at the outer end of the air-compressing cylinder.

4. In an air-gun, the combination with the air-compressing cylinder secured to the stock and projecting-forwardly therefrom, an abutment formed of a single piece, cup-shaped sheet-metal thimble secured in the outer end of said cylinder, a tube in which the barrel is mounted, forming a false or outer barrel, said outer barrel extending into and adapted to be detachably secured in the cupshaped abutnient.

5. In an air-gun, the combination of the stock, of a barrel member formed in two separable sections, the rear section thereof consisting of the air-compressing cylinder secured to the stock and extending forwardly therefrom, a spring and piston therein, an aircompressing abutment at `the end of the cylinder and a barrel forming the outer section of the barrel member detachably secured in the forward end of the cylinder, and an exterior finger-actuated lock for holding the barrel against endwise disengagement from the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MARKHAM.

Titnessesz M. B. ODOGHERTY, H. C. SMITH, 

